Boatworking Skills, or lack thereof
by Kitten2
Summary: Vegeta lives in Gloucester County and his new neighbor happens to be a certain blue haired female, this is for the B/V fans. Updated and definitely feeling bad about this chapter, hope to get reviews and, if you read the reviews, i have a note for al.
1. Welcome to Guinea

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, so bite me if you think this isn't a good enough disclaimer.  
  
Author's Note: I know, this is my first B/V to be posted, but hey, at least I'm putting in a couple of recognizable characters from my other stories. Also, Gloucester is a real place, it is in Virginia, my home state and I know almost everyone here, like I said in the story, it's a small county and there are a few people who everyone knows.  
  
  
  
Chapter One: Welcome to Guinea.  
  
  
  
Vegeta had lived in Gloucester County all of his life, there wasn't anything about the small county he didn't know and no one who didn't know him. Most of this was because of his popularity and reputation among the locals. He had a few people he called friend and one girl who he claimed as his best friend. She was the one who hooked him up with his last girlfriend and was also the one who was there for him when the girl decided to get out of Gloucester. Right now, however, she was helping him fix his boat, his pride and joy and main source of income.  
  
"Hand me the sander will you Vegeta?" Kathi held out her hand and grasped at thin air before sliding out from beneath the boat and glaring at her dark eyed friend. "Hello, I need the sander or you're never going to get all the barnacles off of the bottom of your boat."  
  
"Shut up Kathi, I'm plugging it in right now." Growling several choice obscenities under his breath, he finished plugging in the sander then handed it to her before returning to the stern of his boat. "Try not to shake the boat too much, I'm painting the name here."  
  
"Whatever." Turning the sander on full power, she started scraping away the layers of dead barnacles, singing at the top of her lungs to the music she heard through her headphones.  
  
Bulma, waking up from her tiring night of unpacking boxes, sighed and ran her fingers through her light blue hair before looking out her open window at the house across the road from hers. There was a boat out in the front yard with one person underneath it, singing horribly off key, and another person behind it blissfully unaware of the horrendous singing coming from beneath the boat. Sighing again, she climbed out of bed and walked to her kitchen, intending to make a pot of coffee and looking over her latest sketches for her most recent invention. Unfortunately, the noise across the street was getting unbearable and she had to ask if the girl would please stop singing.  
  
"Who let the dogs out, woof, woof, woof, woof? Who let the dogs out…"  
  
Pulling on a clean shirt and pair of jeans, she debated putting a pair of earplugs in then decided against it, not sure if she would really need them once she got close to the boat. Taking a deep breath, and wishing she had found her aspirin, she left her house and made her way across the street. 


	2. Daffodil festival?

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ and I'm very sorry about what I said in my first disclaimer, it will never happen again.  
  
Author's Note: Surprise, there are no notes for this chapter, I just thought I'd try something new on for size with writing a Bulma and Vegeta fic and…well…here I am, writing about the most famous couple in all of DBZ. God I feel so deprived writing about them. Also…they're both a little…okay, a lot out of character, but I'm trying for something original here.  
  
Chapter Two: Daffodil festival?  
  
  
  
Tapping on the top of the boat, Bulma tried to get the singer's attention then yelped in surprise when the girl turned her sander off and slid out from beneath the boat, a cheerful grin on her face.  
  
"Hey! You must be the new neighbor huh?"  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
"Great, do you know anything about boats?" Smiling wider when the delicately exotic woman shook her head, Kathi set the sander on the ground then jumped to her feet and wiped off her pants. "Well then, that makes both of us…unable to help Veggie while he fixes his boat."  
  
"Veggie?"  
  
"Oh yeah, you probably haven't met him yet, hold on a sec and I'll get his attention." Grinning mischievously, she grabbed the edge of the boat then rocked it, bringing forth a string of curses that would have made a sailor blush and one very angry man.  
  
"Dammit Kathi, I was almost finished painting that damn name and you screwed it up. How many times have I…whoa." Stopping in the middle of his tirade, he started at the blue-haired beauty in wonder and awe then looked over at his short friend in confusion. "Please tell me you're playing another trick on me and that I really didn't say all of that in front of her…please?"  
  
"Nope, you said all of it and then some. If I remember correctly you said that if you got your hands on me then you would wring my scrawny neck until my face turned purple from the lack of air while beating my f**king head over the bow of the boat. Then you would…"  
  
"Alright I get the point." Sighing, he looked over at the newcomer curiously then smiled weakly. "I'm Vegeta…and that is a pain in the ass."  
  
"Well, aren't we bitchy today?" Rolling her eyes, she held out her hand to the taller woman then smiled warmly when she took her hand. "I'm Kathi, as I'm sure you picked up from Veggie and I live in that trailer over there." Pointing to a small white trailer in the middle of a fenced in yard, she shook her head then swore as well before releasing the other woman's hand. "And right now, I believe that Cowboy has decided to take all of the dogs out for hunting."  
  
"Cowboy?" Confused by the outgoing and cheerful nature that the shorter woman projected, she looked over at the trailer as well then gasped in surprise when she saw a tall, lanky man lope down the driveway with several beagles on his heels. "Oh my…"  
  
"Yeah, and that other dog is Calvin, he's my baby." Gesturing to the economy sized dog following at a lazy trot, she raised her level of happiness up another notch, causing her friend to snort and turn back to his boat, finally disinterested in what was going on. "Anyway, I didn't catch your name but I'm willing to learn it."  
  
"Oh, my name is Bulma…and you were right, I am new around here. I still haven't gotten used to all of the friendly people around here."  
  
Lifting a skeptical brow, she snorted as well then nodded back towards Vegeta. "Does he seem friendly?"  
  
"No, not really."  
  
"Don't let that fool you, deep down he's one of the best guys around here. Have you been up to that small store on the corner yet?"  
  
"Yes…those men up there are very helpful…"  
  
"Helpful when they want something and they all want fresh meat. Trust me when I say this, don't go near any of them unless he or I say they're safe. Cowboy doesn't talk to them anymore because of how they treated me when I started working at that store and I'm still not happy with them."  
  
"Why do you call him Cowboy?"  
  
"Would you want everyone to know that your fiancé's name is Carol?"  
  
"I guess not." Running her fingers through her hair, she sighed then looked back at her house, wondering what she would do for the rest of the day now that she had met her neighbors. "Look, I've got a lot of unpacking to do before I can really get to know you but…"  
  
"Hey, don't tell me about it, I've moved around a few times myself. Listen, if you want anything you can just come over and knock on my door…I'm normally there and if I'm not, I'm over here doing odd and end work for him since he can't seem to keep his house in the best of shape. I've never seen a man who could destroy stuff as quickly as him."  
  
"He does seem a little…destructive."  
  
Looking up from his painting, he glared at Kathi then pointed back at his house. "Speaking of fixing things, the microwave has blown up again and I need you to replace the front."  
  
"Aw hell, what have I told you about sticking forks in there?"  
  
"Shut up, I was hungry and I wasn't about to pay attention to what I was doing."  
  
"I hate fixing microwaves." Grumbling under her breath, she started walking to the house then turned back and smiled one last time at the other woman. "I forgot to warn you that loud noises come from his house at all hours of the day and night. Just ignore them and you'll be fine here."  
  
"If you say so." Smiling weakly at her, she hugged her stomach then bit her lip in thought, watching her open the door to go inside. "You know…I can fix a microwave."  
  
"You can? Great, then you can help me fix this one and you can tell me a little about yourself while we're working."  
  
"I like that idea." Walking up to the porch, she glanced at Vegeta one last time, marveling at his flawless features, then sighed wistfully and followed the shorter woman inside. "Where do men like that hide?"  
  
The two had been working on the microwave for the last couple of hours, talking about nearly everything and laughing at stories they had to tell. Kathi had admitted that she had an affinity for working with animals and building simple things that were useful on the water while Bulma told stories about her inventions and life before she had moved to Gloucester.  
  
Pushing a few strands of her blue hair from her face, she studied their handiwork then tested the door a few times, thinking of an event that she'd learned about. "So when is this Daffodil Festival?"  
  
"This month…in fact, if I remember correctly, it's a few days from now."  
  
"Why do you guys celebrate this festival?"  
  
"Well…we're very proud of the number of Daffodils we grow out here and…just about everything we do. This is a small community and the people here like to get together and meet the newcomers. It's more of a welcoming ceremony since it's in the beginning half of the year."  
  
"You said that there's a Daffodil queen…"  
  
"Yeah, I actually applied for it this year but I'm not expecting to be chosen. I have to go against Tina and Cassandra before I even have a chance. Too bad you didn't know about it earlier though, I think you would have done great with your looks and build. There would be no competition."  
  
"Well…I'm not sure I'd be accepted anyway."  
  
"Trust me, the come here's are always accepted for anything they try out for."  
  
"Come here's?"  
  
"Yeah, the people who moved here and weren't born here. I'm a come here and trust me when I say that I'm glad I moved here. I'm sure you'll like it too. Despite the occasional explosion from this house, the neighborhood is very quiet and there are very few things to worry about…wait, I'm wrong…there's a lot to worry about in this neighborhood."  
  
"Don't tell me, I can guess what those things are."  
  
"I'm sure you could, are you guys done with my microwave yet?" Dropping his gloves on the table, he walked to the fridge, ignoring the looks he received, and grabbed a coke from inside before popping the top and taking a long drink from it. Noticing that they were still glaring at him, he sighed then set the drink on the counter. "What now?"  
  
"Nothing, just wondering if you could be anymore rude?" Blue eyes flashing with slight anger and her glare intensifying, she watched him lean against the opposite counter then sniffed when he folded his arms over his chest. "Well, I guess I got my answer. Kathi, it has been nice getting to know you and I will take you up on that offer to come over on Saturday. I think I'll have fun learning how to play Pinochle."  
  
"Hey, it's a game of strategy and I suck at it. I figured you might like to play against me before anyone else."  
  
"Yes, I would like that very much. Bye Kat, I'll see you on Saturday and Vegeta, I hope I don't see you for awhile."  
  
Watching her leave, he blinked several times in shock then glared at his friend when she started laughing. "What did you find so funny about that?"  
  
"I think she likes you Vegeta."  
  
"Shut up." 


	3. Vegeta's Dog

Disclaimer: Ah, to own DBZ, that would be the life for me. A million and one adoring fans and no one to mess up my plans.  
  
Author's Note: Are there too many conversations in here? Do I not have enough B/V interaction for you? Please, e-mail me at Origynalsyn22@aol.com mailto:Origynalsyn22@aol.com and please tell me what I could do next. Also, please remember that this is all based in a real place so don't be surprised if strange characters show up every now and then. I know everyone that will show up in this story…and if I don't, it's because they are cartoon characters. And yes, I did let out the horrible secret that is known as my fiancé's name. Sorry Cowboy. Ok, back to writing.  
  
  
  
Chapter Three: Vegeta and his dog…don't think sick people, it's a dog for god's sake.  
  
  
  
Bulma was sitting out in the sun, her sunglasses and bikini on, when she heard the sound of a lawnmower start up then loud barking and swearing coming from across the street. Lifting her sunglasses to get a better view, she couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her neighbor trying to get his shirt back from a large black Labrador. Her eyes did end up wandering though, as she studied his sweaty body, muscular chest, and arms. "Wow." Tearing her gaze from his chest, she watched him wrestling with the dog for awhile longer then laughed again when he shouted several explicative words at the dog before returning to his mowing. "Oh my…now I know I really need a man."  
  
Tired from mowing, and fighting his dog for his shirt, he sighed and picked up a bottle of water sitting on the bow deck of his boat. Taking several deep swallows, he glanced over at his new neighbor's yard then whistled softly when she stood up, revealing her bikini-clad body. He'd seen some well built women in his life and she definitely filled that particular slot. Shaking his head, he leaned back against his boat, thoughts of what he would be doing tomorrow filling his mind.  
  
"Hey Vegeta." Cowboy, Kathi's fiancé, walked over with a huge grin on his face then leaned against the boat beside the shorter man. "You up for turkey hunting tomorrow?"  
  
"It starts tomorrow?" Shaking his head to free it from his earlier train of thoughts, he glanced at the taller man curiously. "I thought it didn't start until next week?"  
  
"Nope, tomorrow is the first day of turkey season."  
  
"Damn…yeah I'll go tomorrow."  
  
"Great, now she can't tell me that I can't go because I don't have anyone with me."  
  
Laughing softly, he took another swallow of water. "She doesn't want you to go eh?"  
  
"No…something about needing pickles and chocolate ice-cream. I don't know…she's been more sensitive ever since she reached her fourth month."  
  
"That might be because you haven't gotten married yet."  
  
"We will though…just not now."  
  
Rolling his eyes, he looked back across the street and watched the blue-haired woman water some flowers hanging off her porch then sighed. "What do you think of our new neighbor?"  
  
Lifting a brow, Cowboy glanced at the new woman then whistled softly before looking away. "She's something else, but god don't let Kathi catch me watching her, she'd tear my balls out and force me to eat them."  
  
Lips curving in a small smirk, he nodded and walked over to where his dog had discarded his poor shirt. "That would be worth watching…maybe I should tell her you were ogling the new neighbor?"  
  
Paling considerably, despite his dark tan, he shook his head then glared at the shorter man menacingly. "You wouldn't dare and you know she wouldn't fix anything else for you if you did."  
  
"True, she would be very distraught about the whole thing."  
  
"Damn right she would."  
  
"Anyway, turkey hunting tomorrow and I'll remember to bring my gun this time."  
  
"Thank the lord, last time I had to let you borrow mine and I still haven't gotten the dirt out of it from when you dropped it."  
  
"Hey now, that wasn't my fault…that stupid raccoon jumped on me and scared the hell out of me."  
  
"Right, that's what they all say."  
  
"Whatever man, go home and let me finish my yard work."  
  
"If you say so." Waving to the other man, he left and headed across the field to his house.  
  
Sighing, he stared at his neighbor a little longer then snorted and whistled for his dog. "Hey you mutt, my shirts aren't your toys."  
  
Loping over to his owner, the lab gave him a doggy grin then licked his face before sitting still and staring up at the human.  
  
"Right, and now I suppose you're hungry after all that hard work you did?"  
  
Barking, the dog scooted forward then yelped with joy when the man started for the house.  
  
Grumbling under his breath about stupid dogs and beautiful women, he opened the door, letting his dog in first, then went into the kitchen. He might as well feed the dog even though it had been given beef scraps about an hour ago. "Why did I let her talk me into getting this creature?" 


	4. And the Daffodil Queen is...

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ and I never will. I do, however, own Cowboy since he is my fiancé and I won't take any crappy stuff about wanting to borrow him because he's got some sexy bluish-gray eyes. He's mine…ahem…sorry about that.  
  
Author's Note: I know this is taking awhile to hook the two up but don't worry, it'll happen soon, if not in this chapter then it will be in the next one. And, to all you Bulma and Vegeta junkies out there, this is the only B/V romance I'm writing, please get used to that fact. I normally write for my enjoyment and my enjoyment normally excludes these, although I am happy that you guys are reading my story, thank you for the reviews. I forgot to add the fact that almost all Guinea men talk very fast and run all of their words together. And, they call everyone, whether they're a man or a woman, doll or darlin.  
  
  
  
Chapter Four: And the daffodil queen is…  
  
  
  
Wandering around aimlessly through the old Courthouse district in Gloucester, Bulma smiled at the rustic charm of the place then walked to several vending stalls where locals had come to display their hobbies and merchandise. (And believe me, they make a killing off of tourists, saying everything is antique…sheesh.) Stopping by one stall in particular, she studied the artistically wrought boats that had been built in a miniature form for display then smiled when a man walked up and held out his hand to her. "Did you make these?"  
  
"Yes doll, I built these boats. You interested in getting a boat doll?"  
  
After slowly translating what the man had said, she nodded then pointed to one of the boats on display. "Well…I've never been on one of these types of boats before…what are they?"  
  
"A skiff darlin', crabbers use them to haul their crab pots out into the rivers."  
  
"Why don't they use a bigger boat?"  
  
Smiling, he motioned her over to a board that had pictures of different men out on the water in all types of skiffs. "Haulin' crab pots out of the water isn't easy…y'all come here's wouldn't really understand it if you hadn't been out on the water, working for a living before. A good haul of crabs in a pot weighs about twenty-five pounds and it's easier to pull it over the washboard and into the boat if the washboard is closer to the water."  
  
"So a skiff makes the job easier?"  
  
"They sure do darlin'."  
  
"Oh…well…how long does it take to make one of these boats?"  
  
"Five or six months." Removing his hat, the man ran his fingers through his barely graying hair, then looked away and grinned widely when another person approached the stall. "Cowboy, how you doin' doll? I haven't seen you or Kathi around in awhile."  
  
Shrugging, the younger man glanced at his fiancée's new best friend then grinned at his old friend. "I'm not doing much of nothing Jerry, just hunting and working."  
  
"That's good, so when are you getting married?"  
  
"In August, even though I don't think she's going to wait that long before she starts showing."  
  
"Don't worry about that Bubba…just don't leave her at the alter."  
  
"Not planning on it."  
  
"Ok man, I'll see you later then." Turning back to his original customer, Jerry smiled then ran his fingers over the model boat. "So, you're planning on learning about boats?"  
  
"How did you…"  
  
He tapped his finger to his temple then shook his head with a laugh. "Kathi went through the same thing with Bubba and I figured you would be around here since she told me she had brought up a new friend. Truthfully, she's one of the worst boat builders I've ever met, but she does put her heart into what she's doing."  
  
"And you think I might be better at building a boat?"  
  
"I don't know, you'll just have to tell me what you think when you're finished building your first boat."  
  
"But I…"  
  
"Quiet doll, even I know better than to question what that crazy girl has going on in her mind. Besides…she'll skin me alive if I don't teach her friend how to impress someone."  
  
"I wasn't…"  
  
"Trust me, you'll want to know how to build a boat."  
  
"If you say so."  
  
"Good, now get to the stage, they're announcing the winner for daffodil queen."  
  
Making her way towards the stage, Bulma sighed and chose to stand on the outer edge of the crowd when it became apparent to her that she wasn't going to get any closer than that.  
  
Making his way around the bottom of the stage, Vegeta scanned the crowd for his blue-haired neighbor then stopped and looked up when the candidates for Daffodil Queen came out onto the stage. Nodding and giving a thumbs up to Kathi, he moved next to her fiancé and waited for the results.  
  
Smiling and waving to everyone, Buck Rowe walked out onto the stage then held up his hands and let the winner from last year's Daffodil Festival join him before reading the envelope in his hands. "And this year's Daffodil Queen is…Katherine Hall from down in Guinea!"  
  
Eyes wide with shock, Kathi walked out towards the two waiting for her, then stopped and held her hand against her stomach with a grimace of pain… 


	5. Public Humiliation

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ.  
  
  
  
Author's notes: How's that for my first cliffhanger? Pretty crappy huh? Don't worry, in this chapter there will be plenty of B/V action for those of you who requested it. But first, a nice surprise to those of you who haven't read my newest story 'The Cure'. This is just a reminder on how life really is.  
  
  
  
Chapter Five: Public humiliation…  
  
  
  
"Oh my god!" Vaulting onto the stage, Bulma ran to her short friend's side and put her arm around the other girl's shoulders before blinking when she looked up at her with tears of pain and disbelief shining in her eyes. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Don't stare…but look off towards Vegeta and my fiancé…tell me I'm not seeing what I'm seeing."  
  
Her curiosity getting the best of her, she looked towards the two men the looked again before tearing her gaze away from them. "Who is she?"  
  
"Cowboy's ex-girlfriend."  
  
"Oh my god…"  
  
"Is his hand really on her hip?"  
  
"Yes…but…"  
  
"Don't worry about it…I'll take care of this on my own." Standing up straight, and flashing everyone a grin, she walked towards the microphone waiting for her and took it in one small hand before talking. "Sorry about that folks, I must have had the wrong combination of food today." Smiling when everyone laughed, she managed not to look towards her fiancé until she neared the end of her thank you speech. "And I'd like to thank Cowboy Hall for not telling me that he was seeing Dawn before he came home from work. He's such a great guy isn't he?"  
  
Eyes widening in shock, Vegeta looked over at the man standing beside him then backed away a few steps when he saw the unbridled fury and, slight hint of, fear in his eyes. Growling softly under his breath, he fought the urge to punch the man he once thought of as a friend then thought better and caught him with a strong right hook.  
  
Sprawling flat on his back, the Cowboy rubbed his jaw angrily then got to his feet and stalked away, his ex-girlfriend's hand clenched tightly in his.  
  
Walking offstage, she barely made it down the steps before bursting into tears and crying as hard as she could. Hearing someone come up beside her, she brushed Bulma's attempt at consoling her away and ran to her truck she had parked near the stage. She had to get away before she made another public scene at humiliating herself.  
  
Watching the younger woman leave, she sighed and rubbed her arm absently before looking up when Vegeta walked to her side. "Did you know about this?"  
  
"Let's just call it a hunch and say that I did see it coming."  
  
"But…"  
  
"I didn't know about it though."  
  
"Do you think she'll be alright?"  
  
"Of course, she's stronger than most people give her credit for."  
  
"Thank god for that."  
  
"Hmm." Looking around disinterestedly, he sighed then turned his dark gaze back to her. "Want to go get a cup of coffee to let her have time by herself?"  
  
"Coffee sounds good." Smiling sadly, she followed him to his own truck and got into the passenger side while he started the engine.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Sorry there wasn't a lot of B/V action like I promised, I just broke up with my fiancé and he, after only four hours of being broken up, decided to go back to his ex girlfriend and screw around with her. I'm not going to update any of my stories for a week after this so don't be surprised if any of you don't see any new chapters coming out for any stories. I'm nineteen, he was thirty-five…I was stupid and gave up my heart to him. I just learned one of the world's shittiest lessons from this experience and…god help me to be strong but I hope that this lesson sticks with me for the rest of my life. May your lives be wonderful and take care of yourselves, I'll get back to writing as soon as possible for all of you. Peace and wonderful wishes to all of my reviewers. 


	6. Repercussion

Disclaimer: If DBZ wasn't already owned by someone else, do you think I would be writing these stories?  
  
Author's notes: I'm back, though I must say that my mood has shifted completely. Fortunately, I've found that nothing can keep me from writing and I won't be stopping any time soon. Anyway, I've done some research on this whole thing and I've found that coffee shops are notorious for making you want to come back every day. Coffee is good, caffeine is good, I am addicted to coffee.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Six: Repercussion…  
  
  
  
  
  
"So, how long have you lived here in…Gloucester?" Stirring her coffee absently with one of those nifty stirrers, Bulma looked up at her quiet table companion to find that he appeared deep in thought about something. "Hey…are you listening?"  
  
Turning his gaze to her, he nodded then sighed and took a sip of his coffee. "For as long as I can remember…probably all of my life."  
  
"Is it always this…frantic around here?"  
  
"No, you just happened to move in during the fast time of the year. It will calm down for the next six months until the Guinea Jubilee. Lot's of people come to see it…although the last one was very…patriotic."  
  
"Yeah…that whole bad thing."  
  
Laughing softly, he studied her from beneath lowered lashes then set his cup on the table. "What made you move here?"  
  
"I needed time away from home…it was always hectic around there."  
  
"So I guess that means you aren't staying here for very long?"  
  
Shaking her head, she sighed then ran her fingers through her long blue hair. "I've got to go back because my father…needs me to take over for him when he retires."  
  
"I get the feeling you don't want to go back."  
  
Laughing softly then meeting his gaze, she felt her cheeks burning in embarrassment when she saw the longing in his eyes. "If I didn't go back then I would let down my family."  
  
"Honor…you do this for honor?"  
  
"Yeah, in honor of a promise I made to myself a very long time ago."  
  
"What kind of promise was that?"  
  
"Never let a good thing slip through my fingers again."  
  
Nodding at her comment, he stared into his coffee cup, deep in thought.  
  
"What about you? Do you have any promises you need to keep to yourself?"  
  
"Yeah…I made a promise once."  
  
"Have you kept it?"  
  
"Until today I thought that I had kept it."  
  
"Why until today?"  
  
He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest, never moving his gaze from his, now empty, coffee cup. "Don't worry about it." Getting up, he paid for the coffees, his mind whirling with a myriad of thoughts.  
  
Watching him, she sighed inwardly before getting up as well and walking to her car. She needed time to dissect his reaction to her question and formulate a plan to get him to open up more for her.  
  
Slamming the tailgate of his truck shut, he grabbed his keys from the hood and jogged up to the backdoor of his friend's trailer. He knocked several times before hearing someone moving around inside then watched as the door creaked open. "Kathi…"  
  
"Go home Vegeta."  
  
"But…"  
  
Peering out the door, she met his tired gaze then sighed and walked out with a tissue crumpled in her fingers. "You are a pain in the ass, I hope you know that."  
  
Grinning slightly, he hugged her with one arm then sat down on the steps with her. "I'm sorry he did that to you."  
  
"Don't be, you got in a nice punch."  
  
"I know, it hurt too."  
  
"Well…he is a rather solid guy."  
  
"It comes from working on the water all day."  
  
"But you wouldn't know about that would you?"  
  
"Nope, I spent most of my time clearing trees and putting up new houses for people…when I wasn't working at the fish house."  
  
"Liar, you've never worked in the fish house." Smiling weakly, she leaned against his steady shoulder and stared, absently, out at the field behind where she lived. "I think I might get some horses."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"So I can talk to someone taller than you and stronger than you."  
  
Laughing, he nudged her gently with his elbow then stood up and walked around her back porch. "I think you could do some good with a few horses around here."  
  
Watching him, she frowned then leaned forward on her arms, her eyes flicking back and forth with every step he took. "What about you? Haven't you found someone to add a female touch to your place?"  
  
"No, and I would rather not see any 'female' touches around my house anytime soon."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Positively sure."  
  
"If you say so, but I think that Bulma would like it if you gave her a chance."  
  
Stopping his circuit of her porch, he stared off at the field she'd been studying earlier then looked back at her. "Women cause me too much pain."  
  
"And men cause me pain. Life's like that you know."  
  
"I wish I didn't know that…and I wish you never had to find that out."  
  
"Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself."  
  
"That's what you said last year and you ended up getting a cast put on because you fell out of that tree when you were helping me."  
  
"Shh…that's a secret, no one was supposed to know about that either."  
  
"Come on Kathi, everyone knew how it happened, everyone in the yard saw you fall."  
  
"I know…but…" She sighed again and hid her face in her arms. "Leave me alone for awhile, I need time to think and…you should go out with Bulma…I don't need her around to worry about me either."  
  
"Why me?"  
  
"Because she likes you more than she likes my other friends."  
  
"Fine, but only because you want me to."  
  
"Whatever you say Vegeta."  
  
"Don't start with that now."  
  
"Go home Vegeta."  
  
"Are you even listening to me…darn you." Staring at her closed door, he sighed then rubbed the back of his neck before heading to his truck once more. He had a call to make and a date to get ready for…what in the world was he going to wear? 


	7. The Blue Marlin

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, and I probably don't own the restaurant they're going to, or the truck he's driving.  
  
Author's Notes: Here it is, the long awaited for date with Bulma and Vegeta as our wonderful couple. But alas, someone can't find their good shoes. Why could that be?  
  
  
  
Chapter Seven: The Blue Marlin.(no, it isn't a fishing trip)  
  
  
  
Bulma was busy sketching out plans for a new invention when her phone rang, causing her to mess up a single line in the structure. Sighing, she pushed her bangs back from her face then picked up the phone. "Hello?"  
  
"Hi.Bulma."  
  
"Vegeta.where did you go? I've been trying to get a hold of you for the past hour and a half."  
  
"Comforting a friend." Scratching his dog's head, he barely heard the satisfied groan that came from deep within the animal's throat. "But I'm home now and I wanted to ask you something."  
  
"Really? What's that?"  
  
"I was.wondering if.you might like to.go out tonight with me and maybe see a movie like having a fun time tonight together."  
  
Frowning because she didn't think she heard him right, she took a couple of seconds to think about it. "Did you just ask me out on a date?"  
  
"Uh.yeah."  
  
Grinning, she shook her head then looked over at her clock. "Sure, how does six sound?"  
  
"Great!"  
  
"Okay, I'll be ready by then."  
  
"Alright, see you at six."  
  
"Bye."  
  
"Bye." Hanging up his phone he glanced at his clock and sighed before getting up and stretching. "Well mutt, looks like you're going to be alone tonight."  
  
Barking softly, his dog wagged his tail and watched his owner disappear into the bathroom. Padding over to the door, he sighed and plopped down in front of it, his head resting on his paws.  
  
At ten minutes to six, he was racing around his house, trying to find his favorite pair of sneakers, his dog chasing after him and grabbing his socks from his hand every time he set them down. Growling obscenities under his breath, he managed to get his socks back and pulled them on, having located his shoes in a pile of toys beside the couch. "One of these days you and I are going to have a long talk about what shoes you can chew on and what shoes are off limits."  
  
Barking joyfully, his dog licked his face then bounded off to another section of the house.  
  
Wiping his face off on the back of his hand, he looked down at his watch and swore again before running out of the house and starting his truck.  
  
Applying the last bit of her make-up, she looked out her bedroom window, hearing a vehicle pull into her driveway. Smiling, she jogged downstairs and to the front door in time to catch him before he rang the doorbell. "You ready?"  
  
Staring at her, he swallowed dryly then nodded and watched her as she came outside. She was wearing a tight, low cut, red top and a short black skirt that accentuated her long legs all the way down to her high heel covered feet. "You look amazing."  
  
"Thanks." Blushing faintly, she took her chance to study him in his tight black jeans and loose blue shirt before following him to his truck. "So.where are we going for dinner?"  
  
"The Blue Marlin."  
  
"What?"  
  
Grinning, he pulled out of her driveway and started down the road. "You'll see."  
  
An hour later she was smiling at him from over the rim of her glass of wine in a very well located restaurant that looked out over the still waters of the York River. "Haven't you ever wanted to quit everything you're doing and leave town?"  
  
Shaking his head, he glanced out the large bay windows beside them then looked at the blue-hared woman sitting in front of him. "If I did that, I wouldn't be around for the two people in my life that really depend on me."  
  
"Who are they?"  
  
"Well." He grinned and took a sip of his coke before continuing. "My dog for one, that mutt hates being left alone for long periods of time."  
  
"I'm not surprised, with the way you spoil him it's no wonder he isn't waddling everywhere he goes." She laughed softly, the rich sound filling the air around them. "And who's the other person?"  
  
"Kathi, who else?"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, she and I have been close friends ever since she moved to Guinea thirteen years ago."  
  
"So she's like a sister to you?"  
  
"You bet, I was there to kick her first boyfriend's ass and to embarrass the hell out of her when she told me about her first crush. Of course, she had her times when she did the same thing to me but." He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Remember when you asked me about that promise I had thought I kept?"  
  
"Yeah.what about it?"  
  
"I made a vow to her mother that I would watch over her little girl until she found the right man. Unfortunately I haven't been very helpful in that department."  
  
"Oh don't say that, I'm sure you're doing a wonderful job."  
  
"So wonderful that the man who got her pregnant ended up being a cheating jerk?"  
  
"Well.you can't always expect things to go perfectly. Life wouldn't be as exciting as it is if you did do everything right the first time."  
  
Laughing, he rolled his eyes and leaned forward to meet her gaze more evenly. "Are you trying to make me feel better or worse about this whole situation?"  
  
"Well.I thought that I was trying to make it all better, but I think you need to tell me if I'm doing a good job of it." Her smile widened slightly, revealing even white teeth from beneath her pink lips.  
  
"I'm already feeling better but it doesn't have anything to do with what you're saying."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"It's your company.you make me feel better when I'm around you."  
  
Blushing hotly, she took another sip of her wine and tried not to look at him too closely. "Thank you.I think."  
  
"You're welcome, now then, let's get out of here and go somewhere else."  
  
Nodding, she got up and followed him out of the door, having finally noticed that he'd paid their waiter and left a tip on the table that would make any server very happy indeed.  
  
Author's Notes: Hey all, sorry it took me so long to update this fic but I've been so out of it since I put out the last chapter that I didn't want to write. And RM, I hope this makes you very happy, and I hope the next chapter makes you happy as well. 


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